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While much of the country is in a recession, with the economy tanking, real estate foreclosures, and federal rate cuts – its going to be a hard year for many small businesses. Not to mention many American families.

And while my business on one hand IS feeling the pressure, a lot of my formerly flush clients just don’t have the money, yet still have the necessity for business coaching, freelance writing & business support services.

I’ve been tossing around the idea of going non profit, and maybe brick and mortar for some time. I’d still accept online and long distance clients however, but I feel that my expertise in running a business and managing people could actually help the economy.

I look at it like this… if I can create opportunities for others to make money in my organization, I’ll make money too. More success, more mouths fed, more people that can survive the economic hardships facing us this year.

I’ve been “tire kicking” – looking at online real estate sites and scouting some possible business buys. If I can get the funding for a whole building, that will be the way to go. If I cannot… places to lease.

You might wonder why I do Sponsored Posts. To some, they are the mark of an amateur. To others, they are a viable source of income. Here’s what they are to me.

Freelance Gigs

I’m a freelance writer, and I often take gigs in the tech writing, business writing, and copy writing markets. A sponsored post is merely a quick freelance gig.

Scholarship

The money I make from quickie online writing projects goes into a fund that helps offset the cost of getting newbies online. Sometimes I meet a business owner who is in dire need of an online presence, without the funds to make it happen.

While I’m not a charity, I do like helping folks when I can.

I’ve helped quite a few people get started – when they sign up for my hosting company, I use my affiliate money and sponsored post money to offset the initial tech support. I’ve also helped folks with pro-bono business coaching. Paid posts help me still pay bills, when I do the freebies.

Genuine Recommendation

Most of the time, I only take reviews that I think my international, business, and writing readership will find useful. I also often take sponsorships from causes I want to promote.

It’s like paying it forward. A non-profit sponsors a writeup. They’re exposed to thousands of readers. I get paid. I give time and money to charities.

With all the “making money online” sites out there, I often wonder how they give back for what they’ve received. (Feel free to blog about this on your site & let me know!)